Soils at Guelph celebrated its fifth anniversary on December 7 with an event that brought over 100 University of Guelph stakeholders and industry professionals together.
Participation in the event included a mix of University of Guelph faculty and students from different departments, as well as knowledge mobilization staff, government representatives, commodity groups, farm organizations, growers, soil-focused organizations, financial institutions, and private research companies. It paid tribute to the donors who helped to get the initiative launched and celebrated the work to date.
“For five years, Soils at Guelph has cultivated a collaborative environment for research initiatives, connecting with the broader community, helping knowledge flow seamlessly between hands,” said Dr. Claudia Wagner-Riddle, an executive co-director of Soils at Guelph. “The crowd gathered for our celebration speaks to the success of our initiative in building those relationships. We're well positioned to continue enabling sustainable soil management practices for the next five years and beyond.”
The milestone anniversary showcased the various resources created to share the world-class soil research and expertise generated at the University of Guelph.
“In only five years, Soils at Guelph has become a key part of the movement for improving soil health in Ontario and beyond through its commitment to encouraging collaboration and knowledge sharing among stakeholders, and highlighting the importance of soil health,” said Dr. Rene Van Acker, interim vice-president (research). “It is now a vital hub for fostering connections and understanding the crucial role soil plays in sustainable ecosystems.”
Wagner-Riddle is executive co-director of Soils at Guelph along with Drs. Kari Dunfield and Laura Van Eerd who are world-renowned researchers in agrometeorology, soil microbiology and soil health in the School of Environmental Sciences, Ontario Agricultural College. Heather White is the knowledge mobilization and communications coordinator.